Editing Rick Ferrell (section)

==Major leagues==
Ferrell made his major league debut with the Browns at the age of 23 on April&nbsp;19, [[1929 St. Louis Browns season|1929]].<ref name="Rick Ferrell statistics"/> He spent the 1929&nbsp;season as a reserve catcher backing up veteran [[Wally Schang]], and had a .229&nbsp;batting average in 64&nbsp;games.<ref name="Rick Ferrell statistics"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SLB/1929.shtml|title=1929 St. Louis Browns|work=baseball-reference.com|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref> New Browns [[Manager (baseball)|manager]] and former catcher, [[Bill Killefer]], made Ferrell his starting catcher for the next three seasons, and he would catch in more than 100&nbsp;games in each.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Rick Ferrell"/><ref name="Rick Ferrell statistics"/> His batting average rose to .306 in [[1931 St. Louis Browns season|1931]], elevating him one to one of the best catchers in the American League.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Rick Ferrell"/> Although he led the league's catchers in [[Error (baseball)|errors]] and [[passed ball]]s, he also led the league in [[Assist (baseball)|assists]].<ref name="Ferrell Baseball Reference">{{cite web|title=Rick Ferrell|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/ferreri01.shtml|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=October 18, 2014}}</ref> In [[1932 St. Louis Browns season|1932]], Ferrell hit .315, the best among American League catchers, with 30&nbsp;[[Double (baseball)|doubles]] and 65&nbsp;[[runs batted in]].<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Rick Ferrell"/><ref name="Rick Ferrell statistics"/> He ended the season ranked 13th in voting for the 1932&nbsp;American League [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player Award]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1932.shtml#ALmvp|title=1932 American League Most Valuable Player Award ballot|work=baseball-reference.com|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref>

[[File:RickFerrellGoudeycard.jpg|thumb|left|Ferrell in 1934]]
On May&nbsp;10, [[1933 Boston Red Sox season|1933]], the financially strained Browns traded Ferrell, along with [[Lloyd Brown (baseball)|Lloyd Brown]] to the [[Boston Red Sox]], in exchange for [[Merv Shea]] and some cash.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Rick Ferrell"/><ref name="Rick Ferrell statistics"/> Two months later, Ferrell was selected along with his brother to play for the American League team in the inaugural [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game]] held on July&nbsp;6, [[1933 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1933]].<ref name="1933 All-Star Game">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ALS/ALS193307060.shtml|title=1933 All-Star Game|work=baseball-reference.com|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref> American League manager [[Connie Mack]] used Ferrell to catch the entire game in a 4–2&nbsp;American League victory, even though future [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] catcher [[Bill Dickey]] was also on the team.<ref name="1933 All-Star Game"/><ref name="Dickey Hall">{{cite web|title=Bill Dickey|url=http://baseballhall.org/hof/Dickey-Bill|website=baseballhall.org|publisher=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|access-date=October 22, 2014}}</ref> When the Red Sox played the [[1933 Cleveland Indians season|Cleveland Indians]] two weeks later on July&nbsp;19, 1933, Ferrell hit a [[home run]] against his brother Wes, who later hit a home run off Boston pitcher [[Hank Johnson (baseball)|Hank Johnson]], marking the first time in major league history that brothers on opposing teams had hit home runs in the same game.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Rick Ferrell"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS193307190.shtml|title=July 19, 1933 Indians-Red Sox box score|work=baseball-reference.com|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref> Ferrell ended the year with a .290&nbsp;batting average along with a career-high 77&nbsp;runs batted in.<ref name="Rick Ferrell statistics"/> Although Ferrell once again led American League catchers in errors, he also led in assists and in baserunners [[caught stealing]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1933-fielding-leaders.shtml|title=1933 American League Fielding Leaders|work=baseball-reference.com|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref> Despite the Red Sox' seventh-place finish, Ferrell ranked 12th in voting for the 1933 American League Most Valuable Player Award.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1933.shtml#ALmvp|title=1933 American League Most Valuable Player Award ballot|work=baseball-reference.com|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref>

In [[1934 Boston Red Sox season|1934]], the Red Sox signed Ferrell's brother Wes, forming a formidable [[Battery (baseball)|battery]] for the next {{frac|3|1|2}} seasons.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Rick Ferrell"/> Rick ended the year with a .297&nbsp;batting average and led the league's catchers in [[fielding percentage]] and in [[putout]]s and finished second in assists.<ref name="Rick Ferrell statistics"/> With Ferrell calling the pitches in [[1935 Boston Red Sox season|1935]], his brother pitched to a 25–14&nbsp;won–loss record,<ref name="Wes Ferrell statistics"/> and was runner-up to [[Hank Greenberg]] in voting for the 1935 American League Most Valuable Player Award.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1935.shtml#ALmvp|title=1935 American League Most Valuable Player Award ballot|work=baseball-reference.com|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref> Ferrell posted a .301&nbsp;batting average for the year and led the league in baserunners caught stealing.<ref name="Rick Ferrell statistics"/>

Ferrell had another good year in [[1936 Boston Red Sox season|1936]], leading the league with a .439&nbsp;batting average at the beginning of May to earn the starting catcher's berth for the American League team in the [[1936 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1936 All-Star Game]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Bosox Catcher Rises Fast To Top|agency=[[Associated Press]]|work=[[Spartanburg Herald-Journal]]|page=13|date=May 3, 1936|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3FMsAAAAIBAJ&pg=4593,332550&dq=rick+ferrell&hl=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NLS/NLS193607070.shtml|title=1936 All-Star Game|publisher=Sports Reference, LLC|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref> He ended the season with a .312&nbsp;batting average along with career-highs in home runs&nbsp;(8) and in [[on-base percentage]]&nbsp;(.406).<ref name="Rick Ferrell statistics"/> He also led the league's catchers in putouts and finished second in fielding percentage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1936-fielding-leaders.shtml|title=1936 American League Fielding Leaders|work=baseball-reference.com|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref> In June [[1937 Washington Senators season|1937]], Ferrell was hitting for a .308&nbsp;batting average when he was traded to the Washington Senators along with his brother and [[Mel Almada]] for pitcher [[Bobo Newsom]] and outfielder [[Ben Chapman (baseball)|Ben Chapman]].<ref name="Rick Ferrell statistics"/> Between 1933 and 1936, Ferrell broke Red Sox catchers' records in batting average, doubles, home runs and runs batted in.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Rick Ferrell"/> His .302&nbsp;batting average with Boston is currently 15th on the club's all-time list.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/stats/sortable.jsp?c_id=bos#sortColumn=avg&sectionType=sp&playerType=ALL&statType=hitting&season=2014&season_type=ALL&game_type=%27R%27&elem=%5Bobject+Object%5D&tab_level=child&click_text=Sortable+Player+hitting&league_code=%27MLB%27&page=1&ts=1401126965140|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130216191002/http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/stats/sortable.jsp?c_id=bos#sortColumn=avg&sectionType=sp&playerType=ALL&statType=hitting&season=2014&season_type=ALL&game_type=%27R%27&elem=%5Bobject+Object%5D&tab_level=child&click_text=Sortable+Player+hitting&league_code=%27MLB%27&page=1&ts=1401126965140|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 16, 2013|title=Boston Red Sox Batting Average Leaders|publisher=MLB Advanced Media, LP|work=boston.redsox.mlb.com|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref>

[[File:Rick Ferrell 1936.jpeg|thumb|right|Ferrell in 1936]]
Playing with a broken right hand, he ended the year with the Senators and batted .244 over the course of the season.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Rick Ferrell"/> Ferrell rebounded in [[1938 Washington Senators season|1938]] with a .298&nbsp;batting average and led the league in baserunners caught stealing.<ref name="Rick Ferrell statistics"/> The Senators released his brother Wes in August&nbsp;1938.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Rick Ferrell"/> In May&nbsp;[[1941 St. Louis Browns season|1941]], Ferrell was traded back to the St. Louis Browns, in exchange for [[Vern Kennedy]], and went on to catch 100&nbsp;games for the sixth-place Browns.<ref name="Rick Ferrell statistics"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SLB/1941.shtml|title=1941 St. Louis Browns|work=baseball-reference.com|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref> In [[1942 St. Louis Browns season|1942]], the 36-year-old Ferrell shared catching duties with [[Frankie Hayes]] as the Browns improved to an 82–69&nbsp;won-loss record to finish the year in third place.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SLB/1942.shtml|title=1942 St. Louis Browns|work=baseball-reference.com|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref>

Ferrell was once again traded; this time he returned to the Senators in March&nbsp;[[1944 Washington Senators season|1944]].<ref name="Rick Ferrell statistics"/> He earned a reputation as one of the best [[knuckleball]] catchers in baseball when he had the arduous task of catching for a Senators' starting pitching staff made up entirely of knuckleball pitchers.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Rick Ferrell"/> [[Dutch Leonard (right-handed pitcher)|Dutch Leonard]], [[Johnny Niggeling]], [[Roger Wolff]], and [[Mickey Haefner]] all threw the notoriously difficult-to-catch knuckleball, making Ferrell the first catcher in major league history to accomplish the feat.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Rick Ferrell"/> Although Ferrell led the league in passed balls due to the unpredictability of the knuckleball, he was still named to his seventh [[1944 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]].<ref name="Rick Ferrell statistics"/> The Senators ended the season in last place while Ferrell's former team, the [[1944 St. Louis Browns season|St. Louis Browns]] won the 1944&nbsp;American League pennant.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1944.shtml|title=1944 American League Standings|work=baseball-reference.com|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref>

Ferrell shared catching duties with [[Al Evans]] in [[1945 Washington Senators season|1945]] as the Senators started to win regularly.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/WSH/1945.shtml|title=1945 Washington Senators|work=baseball-reference.com|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref> On July 6,&nbsp;1945, Ferrell broke [[Ray Schalk]]'s American League record for most games caught with 1,721.<ref>{{cite news|title=Rick Hangs Up Catching Mark|agency=Associated Press|work=[[Toronto Star|The Toronto Daily Star]]|page=10|date=July 7, 1945|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QLE7AAAAIBAJ&pg=2574,20121362&dq=rick+ferrell&hl=en}}</ref> The [[1945 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1945 All-Star Game]] which was supposed to be played on July 10 was cancelled on April 24 due to wartime travel restrictions, and no All-Stars were officially named that season.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Rick Ferrell"/><ref name="goldenrankings.com">Baseball Did You Know? – VII, ''1945 All Star Game Replacements'' [http://goldenrankings.com/baseballdidyouknow7.htm] Retrieved July 28, 2015</ref> In place of the All-Star Game, seven out of eight scheduled interleague games were played on July 9 and 10 that raised funds for the [[American Red Cross]] and War Relief Fund.<ref name="goldenrankings.com"/> In the final week of the 1945&nbsp;season, the Senators came within {{frac|1|1|2}} games of winning the American League pennant, ultimately clinched by the [[1945 Detroit Tigers season|Detroit Tigers]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/WSH/1945-schedule-scores.shtml|title=1945 Washington Senators schedule and results|work=baseball-reference.com|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref> Ferrell retired as a player to become a Senators' coach for the [[1946 Washington Senators season|1946]] season. However, he returned to play as a catcher for 37&nbsp;games in [[1947 Washington Senators season|1947]], hitting for a .303&nbsp;batting average.<ref name="Rick Ferrell statistics"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Rick Ferrell Will Coach Nat Catchers|agency=Associated Press|work=[[Tampa Bay Times|St. Petersburg Times]]|page=7|date=February 13, 1946|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TscvAAAAIBAJ&pg=5165,2181747&dq=rick+ferrell&hl=en}}</ref> He played his final major league game on September&nbsp;14, 1947 at the age of 41.<ref name="Rick Ferrell statistics"/>